Method and machine for making seamless hosiery



June 10, 1947. P. THURSTON El AL- METHOD AND MACHIN E FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY l0 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 2, 1944 THURS 70 IN V EN TORS PA (IL .L. HARE/5 01v F H/LKER AND M40040 Wei/(En "III! II A TTORNEX June 10, 1947. P. 1.. THURSTON ET AL 2,421,816

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING S EAMLESS HOSIERY Filed June 2, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N V EN TORS PA (/4 A fill/R570,

A770 EX June 10, 1947; I} v P. L. THuRsToN Er AL I 2,421,816

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS. HOSIERY Filed Jun 2, 1944 10 Sheets- Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR-S BY f/AkklsoNfiH/L KER AND HAROLD W51. KER

Ar romvsx June 1947. P. 1.. THURSTON ET AL 2,421,815

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY Filed June 2, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORJ 0 94w. 1 7710.95 rolv,

HA RR/SON FJ/IL /(R BY AND VA/v01. anti/(15R Arte/wax P. L. THURSTON El" AL 2,421,816

June 10, 1947.

v METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY Filed June 2, 1944 l0 Sheets-:Sheet 6 /T/-/ "j INVENTORS PAUL L fill/Rs TON) HARMsoNfiML/(E/P 4/v0 HAROLAWELKER mh NEX June 10, 1947. P. L. THuR's'rpN ET AL 2,421,816. METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING'SEAMLESS HOS'IERY 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed June 2, 1944 Will!!! I a (I III.

INVENTORS a NM mg H MW N R 0 10 0 M 0 7 L5H A L RH um my June 10, 1947. 2,421,816

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY P. L. THURSTON Er AL Filed Jfine 2, 1944 1O Sheets- Sheet 8 IN VEN TOR-5 PAUL 4 THURSTON, f/A RR /.so/v/'///L KER June 0, 1947- P. THUBSTON Er AL 2,421,316

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY Filed June 2, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOIU R404 L. THURS Ton;

BY HARRISON/T/II/Z/IER A/vo HAROL o IVELkR 'M/Zm Patented June 10, 1947 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR MAKING SEAMLESS HOSIERY,

Paul L. Thurston, Harrison F. Hilker, and Harold Welker, Martinsburg, W. Va., assignors to Interwoven Stocking Company, New Brunswick, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application June 2, 1944, Serial No. 538,422

31 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing improved articles of hosiery such as those disclosed and claimed in our divisional application, Serial No. 571,154, filed January 3, 1945.

In knitting hosiery on a circular knitting machine it has heretofore been proposed to make at least certain portions of the article of terry fabric by feeding body thread and terry thread to the needles and drawing longer loops of the terry thread than of the body thread to provide terry loops at one face of the fabric, This has been done, for example, by providing the knitting machine with sinkers having upper and lower levels and feeding the terry thread below the upper level but above the lower level of the sinkers, so that loops of the terry thread are drawn over the upper level, while stitches of the body thread are drawn over the lower level of the sinkers.

It has also been proposed to produce articles of hosiery having a decorative Wrap embroidery pattern by feeding wrap thread to selected needles and knitting the wrap thread in plated relation with the body thread, so that the wrap thread appears on the outside of the fabric at selected wales to provide the desired design.

However, it has not heretofore been possible to produce articles of hosiery combining the advantages of the soft cushioned effect of terry fabric and the ornamental effect of wrap embroidery designs, serious obstacles having prevented the attainment of such combinations. Terry fabric has heretofore been produced on machines which, apart from the complications introduced to form the terry loops were of relatively simple construction. Machines for producing wrap embroidery designs, on the other hand, are relatively complex, requiring a special rotary head carrying a multiplicity of tubes or guides for feeding separate embroidery threads to a plurality of selected needles, a horn for controlling the threads during rotation of the needle cylinder, patterning mechanism to provide a predetermined and usually varying needle selection, and means for manipulating the needles and sinkers of the knitting machine in a particular way to produce the desired design. The production of terry fabric requires diflerent manipulation of the needles and sinkers, special sinkers or other instrumentalities for forming the terry loops and special means for feeding the terry thread andbody thread to secure proper separation of the threads. The respective complexities of the mechanism for producing wrap embroidery fabric and mechanism for producing terry fabric are thus mutually incompatible and the provision of a single machine that would produce an article of hosiery combining both terry fabric and a wrap embroidery design has presented a difficult problem which has heretofore remained unsolved. i

Moreover, articles of hosiery embodying wrap embroidery patterns are usually designed for high quality trade and are knit on fine gauge machines, having, for example, twenty or more needles per inch in the needle cylinder. The formation of satisfactory terry fabric on a fine gauge machine presents particular difiiculties because of the close clearances and close tolerances in the machine, the more precise timing required and the weakness of the fine yarns used in fine gauge fabric. The difiiculties are further increased when knitting by reciprocation of the needle cylinder, as in making the heel and toe portions of the article.

It is an object of our invention to overcome these difliculties of the prior art and to produce articles of hosiery formed of fine gauge fabric having portions formed with terry loops. By fine gauge fabric is meant fabric knit on a machine having 20 or more needles per inch and using thread not coarser than 250 denier in nylon or rayon or equivalent sizes of other yarns. A further object of our invention is to produce articles of hosiery having both the advantageous characteristics of terry fabric and the desirable appearance provided by a wrap embroidery design. An-

other object of our invention is to produce articles of hosiery having leg and instep portions formed of wrap embroidery fabric, and a butter heel portion of terry fabric extending above the usual heel or high splice portion, and of less width in a coursewise direction than the high splice or heel.

A further object of our invention is to provide a practical method of producing such articles of hosiery and dependable mechanism for carrying out the method.

Other objects, advantages and characteristics of our invention will appear from the following description and the appended claims, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example, two articles of hosiery selected to illustrate our invention, and a knitting machine selected to illustrate the knitting of such articles.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation of a knitting machine for carrying out our invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation showing the 3 left hand side of the knitting machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation showing the right hand side of the knitting machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view-of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View through the sinker cap of the knitting machine taken approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5..

Figs. 7, 8 are fragmentary vertical sectional views taken on the lines 1-1 and 88'respectively in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic plan-'ona' reduced scale showing the distribution of the different types of sinkers employed in themachinen Figs. l0, ll, 12 and 13 are side elevations of four types of sinkers employed.

Fig. l-i is a diagrammatic perspective view showing; operating mechanism, for two of the .sin'ker'actuating cams shown in-Figs. 6; 7 and 8.

Fig. 15. is an enlarged diagrammatic View showing-" the passage of a series of needles through the knitting wave for the feeding, of thread to the needles, and the operation of-the sinkers.

Figs 16 and1'7 are conventional illustrations of 'articles'of hosiery-produced in accordance-with our invention.

Fig. 18' is-a diagrammatic perspective view showing-"additional control mechanism for making' the bufierheel portion of the-article of hosiery shown in Fig; 17. i

Fig; l9=is a-developed elevational view of certainof'the'needle operating cams and showing stitch slackening mechanism.

Fig. 20 isa, plan of the cams'shown in the right hand portion of Fig; 19;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken on-the line 2-l-2.l of Fig, 20.

Fig; 22 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing mechanism for operating the cams shown in Figs; 20 and 21;

' Irnthe figures of drawing showing thema chine; certainparts have-been omitted andceiu tain-other parts have been shown diagrammaticajlly f or thesak e of greater clarity.

In'Fig; lfi ofthe drawing, there is shown by wayof example-an article of hosiery produced in accordance with our invention. The embodiment therein shown is-illustrated as amens sock or half hose having a-top portion I, legportion 2, instep-portion 3-, high splice portion l, heel 5;? sole -6;- toe bandJ-andtoe 8 Portions of the fabric in the heel,- sole, toe band and toe are shown broken away to show the inner face of thefabric. The top portion I is preferably formed of fabric having suitable extensibility andrecoverability to pass over the heel and yet fit the leg snugly whenbeing worn, for example 1 x 1 ribfa'bric, or fabric having elastic thread-incorporated therein. The leg portion 2 and the instep portion 3; which is'understood'to include the upper part of the foot and the front part of the'ankle, are formed'of wrap fabric having a wrap embroidery pattern composed of a plurality of'narrow vertical stripes 9. In the specific embodiment shown by way of example in-Fig. 16', the leg andinstep portions are plain knit, i. e., non-rib fabric. The high splice, heel, sole, toe band and toe portions of the article are formed of terry fabric, composed' of body thread and terry thread knit together, in such'manner as to form loops of terry thread only that are longer than the corresponding loops of the body thread and wrap thread stitches, so as to project on a face of the fabric in the form of terry loops. In the embodiment shown the terry loops comprise sinker loops of the terry thread which correspond to but are, longer than the sinker loops of the body yarn and wrap thread stitches. The needle loops of the body thread, wrap thread and the terry thread are drawn together and are preferably in controlled plated relation,

.so that where no wrap thread occurs the body thread forms the outer face of the fabric and the terry;loops form: the inner face while the wrap thread is at the outer face of the fabric at the stitches where it'occurs. These terry loops provide a soft, cushioning effect and may if desired be cut or brushed.

By reference to Fig. 16, it will be seen that the tubular seamless fabric section comprising the leg portion 2 of the article is formed of wrap embroidery fabric throughout its circumferential or coursewiseextent; Each of the verticalstripes 9 of the wrap.v embroidery pattern isformed .by one :or more wrap threadsincorporated'in selected wales of the fabric and extend-ingin a general vertical orwalewise. direction asdistinguished from the body threadwhich extends coursewise. Thewrap embroidery thread is knit in plating-relation over the body thread .so as to appear on theface cfthe fabric at the stitches in which it is incorporated.

Followin the leg; portion thereis an integral tubular-seamless sectionwcomposed of wrapelnbroidery fabric throughout a-portion of its circumferential extent to form the instep portion 3, of the article,and composed of terry fabric throughout the remainder of its circumferential extent toform the high'splice' portion .4 and sole portion 6. Each of the individual courses of this section is thus formedpartly as terry-fabric and partly as wrap embroidery fabric. In the high splice portion 4* and sole portion 6, the body thread is knit in plated relation over the-terry thread, while in the instep. portion 3- the wrap thread is plated over the body thread at selected walesto forma continuationof the wrap embroidery, pattern in the. leg. The wrap pattern may; if-desired; extend alsointo the terry portion forming the high splice 4, as indicatedat II. the terry thread and the wrap thread is plated over boththe body thread. and the-terry thread in the wales in whichit occurs, terry loops beingdrawnof the terry thread only.

The-threadforming the terry loopsof the terry portionof the fabric may bean additional thread incorporated only in the terry portions, or it may be acontinuous thread extendingalso across the instep portions, where itis knitted in plated relation with the body thread. Inithe latter case the thread forming the terry loops is preferablyalso knit as one of the'body threads in the leg-portionof the article, sothat the fabric of the legportion and the instep portionwill be: consistentv throughout. When the thread which forms theterryloops is knit also. in -the leg'and instep. portionslit is fedand knit in such manner as not to' interfere with the formation of the wrap'embrcid'ery pattern. When intro duced as an additional thread in the terry portions only; the ends of the; terry. threadmay; if desired be" knit into the adjacent portionscf: the non-terry fabric to anchor the ends:. mo-rexse# curely-in the fabric.

Followingthe section forming the sole and in- In this event i the body thread. isplated over step portions, there is fu t e in e ral t u r seaml ss section com r sing terry fabric thr 1 its Circumferential or course-wise extent and forming the toe band I. It is thus necessary to provide instrumentalities for forming terry loops around the entire cylinder of the knitting machine on which the article is produced in order that the toe band may be formed of terry fabric throughout. However, as explained below, these instrumentalities are manipulated in such manneras not to interfere with the formation of the wrap embroidery pattern in the patterned porti-on-s of the article.

The heel portion and toe portion 8 are formed by oscillation or reciprocation of the needle cylinder, alternate courses being knit during rotation of the cylinder in one direction and intermediate courses by rotation of the cylinder in the other direction. It is thus necessary for the terry forming instrumentalities to be operable in both directions of rotation of the cylinder, and further necessary to maintain or reestablish the separation of the body thread and the terry thread during reversal of the direction of rotation. Particularly in fine gauge machines where the needles are very close together, this presents a difficult problem, but it is satisfactorily accomplished by the present invention as described below.

In Fig. 17, where corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numbers as in Fig. 16, there is shown a further embodiment of our invention, which is similar to the form d scribed above except that a buffer heel portion l2 extends upwardly from the high splice portion 4. This buffer portion is formed of terry fabric and is of less width ina coursewise direction than the high splice 4, heel 5 and sole 6, extending substantially less than halfway around the circumference of the article. Moreover the wrap embroidery pattern illustrated in Fig. 17 comprises a clocklc and a plurality of broad vertical stripes [4, each extending over a plurality of consecutive wales of the fabric. It will be seen that the wrap embroidery pattern of the leg extends downwardly beyond the upper extent of the buffer portion 52 and within the coursewise extent of the high spliced portion 4. A portion of the fabric designated by the reference numeral l5 lies closely adjacent the side edges of the buffer portion 52, as clearly shown in the drawing. For example, the wrap stripe portion and terry portion may be in adjacent wales of the fabric. The wrap embroidery pattern may, if desired, terminate upon reaching the high splice portion, as indicated at l6, or may extend into the high splice portion, as indicated at H.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 17 thus comprises a tubular seamless section composed of wrap embroidery fabric throughout its circumferential extent forming a leg portion of the article, a second integral seamless section comprising terry fabric throughout less than half its coursewise extent to form the buffer portion l2, and comprising wrap embroidery non-terry fabric throughout the remainder of its coursewise extent, a third seamless section comprising terry fabric throughout a greater portion of its coursewise extent to form the high splice portion 4, heel portion 5 and sole portion 6 of the article, and comprising non-terry wrap embroidery fabric throughout the remainder of its coursewise extent to form the instep portion 3, and a fourth seamless section comprising terry fabric throughout its coursewise extent to formthe toe band portion 1 of the rticle. The plat n of the respective th eads and the knitting of the terry thread, either as an additional thread or as a continuous thread, may be the same as the embodiment shown in Fig, 16,

When the terry thread is introduced as an addi? tional thread in the terry portions only it is desirable to slacken the stitches in said portions to prevent the additional thread resulting in too tight a fabric. Knitting machines are commonly provided with mechanism for slackening the stitches on the sole side of the needle cylinder. Similar mechanism may satisfactorily be used in knitting the high splice and sole portions of the article described above. However, if such mechanism were to be used in knitting the buffer portion E2 of the sock shown in Fig, 17, it would slacken the stitches not only in the buffer portion but also in the area I 8 which is below the upper extent of the buffer portion and within the coursewise extent of the high splice portion 4 and sole portion This would produce an unslightly and undesirable appearance. In accordance with the present invention, this objection is overcome by slackening only the stitches of the terry fabric. When knitting the tubular seamless section of fabric including the buffer heel, the stitches are slackened only on those needle producing the buffer heel 12. When knitting the following sec.- tion containing the high splice 4 the stitches are slackened on a larger group of needles which produce the high splice and the sole. When the toeband portion is reached, the stitches are slackened throughout the coursewise extent of the fabric.

It will be understood that the wrap embroidery pattern shown in Figs. 16 and 17 are for the purpose of illustration only and that an infinite number of different patterns can be produced by varying the selection of the needles to which the wrap embroidery thread is fed.

In Figs. 1 to 15 and 18 to 22 of the drawings there is shown a knitting machine for producing the articles illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17. The machine may be of the general type of the Banner wrap stripe knitting machine manufactured by the Hemphill Company of Pawtucket, R, I. and the parts of the machine not herein specifically described may be understood to be the same as or similar to the corresponding parts of the Banner machine. The machine has a rotatable needle cylinder 2!, driven from the main drive shaft 22 of the machine through intermeshing beveled gears 23 and 24 (Fig. 1), provision being made for reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft so that the needle cylinder may be rotated continuously in one direction-counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 or may be rotated or oscillated alternately in opposite directions.

The needle cylinder carries a plurality of independently operable needles 25 (Fig. 15) provided at their upper ends with the usual hooks and latches and on their lower portions with one or more butts adapted to engage cams for manipulating the needles. The knitting butts of the needles are preferably of different length. For example, the needles on the side of the needle cylinder producing the instep of the article of hosiery may be provided with long butts while the needles on the opposite or sole side of the needle cylinder have shorter butts. Jacks may also be provided in the needle slots to provide greater selectivity in the needle operation.

At the main feeding station of the machine the needles are manipulated to receive and knit thread fed to the needles by suitable feed fingers (Fig. 15). In the drawings there are shown two 7 adjacent fingers 26 and 21 for feeding body thread to the needles and a finger 28 for feeding terry thread. The body thread feed fingers 26' and 21 are lower than the terry feed finger 28 when in operative position, and the center portion of the throat plate 29 is cut out as indicated at 3i It is thus possible to feed the body thread lower than the terry thread and yet secure the advantage of interchangeability of body thread, so that thread changes can be made as desired. Means controlled by the pattern mechanism of the machine is provided for moving the feed fingers selectively into and out of feeding position. For example, the movement of the feed fingers may be controlled by cams 39a and 36?) (Fig. 1) through suitable linkage (not shown).

A plurality of wrap embroidery threads are fed to selected needles substantially in advance of the main knitting station by feed fingers 32 (Fig. 1) carried by a rotatable head 33. The head 33 is located inside the needle circle and is rotated in synchronism with the needle cylinder, but is on center so that the feed fingers travel in a circular path intersecting the needle circle in such manner that thread fed by the fingers is received by selected needles which have been raised above the adjacent needles. Each of the feed fingers feeds to a. particular needle or group of needles so that the Wrap embroidery threads incorporated in the fabric extend in a general walewise or vertical direction rather than coursewise. The wrap threads received by the needles from the feed fingers 32 are carried in the hooks of the needles to the knitting wave adjacent the main feeding station Where they are knit along with the body thread fed at the latter station. During rotation of the needle cylinder the wrap threads are controlled by a horn 34 (Fig. 4) which is located inside the needle circle and engages the wrap threads to control their position and tension and to prevent tangling. By proper control of the tension of the respective threads and their position in the hooks of the needles the threads are knit in proper plating relation with one another, as described above in conjunction with the articles shown in Figs. 16 and 17. It will be understood that the selection of the needles raised to receive the wrap embroidery thread can be varied as desired to produce an infinite variety of different wrap embroidery patterns.

A sinker ring 35 (Fig. associated with the needle cylinder and rotatable therewith carrie a circular series of independently operated sinkers 36 which are interposed between the needles and cooperate therewith in knitting the thread fed to the needles, and in forming the terry loops characterizing the terry portions of the fabric. The sinkers 36 have a lower level 31 (Fig. over which loops of body thread and wrap embroidery thread are drawn by the needles, and an upper level 38 over which loops of terry thread are drawn so that the loops of terry thread are longer than the corresponding loops of body thread and Wrap embroidery thread. The upper level is shown formed as an upwardly curved finger 39 V which extends over the lower level 3'! of the terry thread 4| is fed to the needles above the body thread 42, so that as the needles are drawn down in the knitting wave, the two threads come together in the form of a V as shown in Fig. 15. By moving the sinkers inwardly in predetermined timed relation with the downward movement of the needles, the curved points 39 of the sinkers are inserted between the body thread and terry thread, thereby separating the two threads so that loops of terry thread are drawn over the upper level 38 of the sinkers while loops of body thread are drawn over the lower level 31, thereby producing the terry fabric. Although the Wrap embroidery thread is fed to selected needles at a level above the upper level of the sinkers, it is fed at a point substantially in advance of the main feeding station and is drawn down by the horn 34 so that stitches of the wrap thread are drawn over the lower level of the sinkers.

If the inward movement of the sinkers is delayed, the threads are not separated and loops of both threads are drawn over the lower level of the sinkers, thus forming loops of the same length and producing non-terry fabric. It is thus possible to produce non-terry fabric even though the feeding of the so-called terry thread is continued. For example, in knitting the leg and instep portions of the article shOWn in Fig. 16, the terry thread can be fed to the needles along with the body thread and. will be knitted in plated relation therewith without producing terry fabric. If, on the other hand, the sinkers are moved in too early, the curved sinkers 39 will come under both the terry thread and the body thread so that extra long loops are drawn of both threads, producing a loose, lacy fabric.

The timing of the movement of the sinkers to separate the terry thread and bod thread must be much more precise in a fine gauge machine than in a coarser machine since the vertical separation of the respective thread feeds is strictly limited. If the terry thread is fed too high it will not be taken by the needles while if the body thread is fed too low, the light weight relatively Weak thread used in line gauge work will be cut by the closing of the latches,

In knitting theheel and toe portions where the machine is operated by oscillation of the needle cylinder, it will be understood that the direction in which the needles travel past the feeding station reverses with each reversal of direction of rotation of the cylinder. During this reversal the separation between the terry thread and the body thread fed to the needles tends to become indistinct and there is danger of both threads getting below the fingers 39 so that no terry loops will be produced. or of both threads getting above the fingers 39, causing a course of loose stitches. In either instance the defect will persist throughout the course since the close spacing of the needles of a fine gauge machine makes it impossible for the sinkers to separate the threads once they have started knitting with both threads under or both above the curved fingers 390i the sinkers. It is therefore desirable to allow the threads to straighten out after reversal of the direction of rotation before moving th sinkers in to form terry loops.

In the embodiment illustrated in the'drawings, five types of sinkers are employed, the difierent types being shown in Figs. '7, 10, ll, 12 and 1 3, and the arrangement of the sinkers in the sinker ring being shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9. On the side of the sinker ring corresponding to the fleadles that produce the instep portion of the article shown in Fig. 116; i. e.,.fr.om.pointA to=B-in Fig. the sinkers are provided with low butts, as shown in. Fig. 11. The sinkers on the opposite or sole side of the sinker ring have high. butts and are of four different types Between the points 3 and C, and H and A the sinkers are of the kind shown in Fig. 10 Between the points C and D, E and F'and G1 and H the sinkers are of" the kind: shown in Fig. 7. Between the points D and E there is provided a small group of consecutive sinkers, for example, six or eight sinkers having a notch l3in the middle of the sinker butts, as illustrated in Fig. 13. Between the points F and G there is a corresponding group of consecutive sinkers having a notch 48 as shown in Fig. 12. It will be noted that the sinkers between the points C and H, i. e., the sinkers shown in Figs. '7, 12 and 13, have tail portions 45 while the remaining sinkers are shown without tails. It will be understood that the latter group of sinkers may, if desired, have shorter tails instead of no tails at all.

The sinkers are manipulatedby cams carried by a sinker cap 46 (Figs. 5 and 6) which is mounted above the sinker ring but does not rotate therewith. The sinker cams include a fixed cam 41 adapted to move all of the sinkers radially outwardly and cams 48 and 49 for moving all the sinkers radially inwardly. However, the movement of the sinkers inwardly by cams t8 and 49 comes at a point too late to separate the terry thread and body thread. Hence, when the sinkers are operated solely by the fixed cams, nonterry fabric will be produced.

For manipulation of the sinkers to effect a sep- 1 aration of the threads to produce terry loops there are provided a plurality of movable cams acting selectively on the different types of sinkers. An upper rear cam 5! is swingable about a pivot 52 into and out of operative position, and. when in operative position is adapted to engage all of the high butt sinkers except those having the; top notch 44 (Fig. 12) to move said sinkers inwardly to separate the threads and produce terry loops. It will be seen that the sinkers are moved inwardly by cam 5% at a point in advance of fixed cam 48'. A lower rear cam 53 similar in shape to cam 51. and likewise swingableabout pivot 52- is adapted, when in operative position, to eng e all of the sinker butts except those having a middle notch 43' (Fig. 13). A tail cam 54 having a similar working face and pivoted in like manner to swing. about pivot 52, is adapted, when. in operative position, to engage the long tail sinkers shown in Figs. 7, 1'2. and 13. Cams 5|, 53 and 51% all act on the sinkers when the needle cylinder is rotated in a counterclockwise direc tion, which is th direction the cylinder turns during. continuous rotation.

When the needle cylinder and sinker ring are rotated in a clockwise direction, as when the machine is operating by oscillation of the needle cylinder, the sinkers are operated by stationary cams ll and 4'9 referred. to above, and also by a movable cam 55 swingable into and. out of operative position about a pivot 56 and adapted when in operative position to engage all of the high butt sinkers except those having a top notch a l (Fig. 12).

It will be understood that sinkers engaged by upper rear cam 5!, lower rear cam 53, or tail cam 54, when in operative position, will be moved inwardly at a point inadvance of fixed cam 43 and will separate the terry thread and body thread so as to form terry fabric. The sinkers after being I0 moved in by cam 5|, 53 or54', to receivetheterry thread on the. curved fingers. 39 of the sinkers, are drawn back slightly by a point 5.1 on cam. 41' (Fig. 6) and are then again moved inwardly by fixed cam 43. The backward movement of the sinkers by the cam point 51 causes the curved fingers 39 to draw more thread from the needles to form longer terry loops and also to draw slack in the thread so that it will not be broken when the needles are drawn: on down. The further downward movement of the needles is coincident with the inward movement of the sinkers by cams 48 so that. the terry thread slides down to the lower portions of the curved fingers 39. A similar cam point 58' on the opposite side of cam 41 acts in a when the needle cylinder is rotated in a clock wise direction.

The upper rear cam 5'1 is movable into and out of operative position by mechanism shown particularly in Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 14'. A light: spring 59- on the sinker cap i'fi tends tomovecam 51 into inoperative position. The cam is moved to operative position by a plunger (it is. slidabl y mounted in a bracket 62' and is adaptedto engage a projection- 63" (Fig. 6) on the cam. The plunger (H is moved intoward cam 51 by: a tension spring 64 which is stronger than the light spring 59 ,and hence tends to hold the cam 5| inwardly in operative position. The plunger 6! is movable outwardly by a lever 65 (Figs! 4: and 14-) pivoted" on bracket 66- andconnected by 'a link El, bellcrank 68 and a second link 69 with a cam lever 'H' pivoted at l2 and having a nose portion (.3 adapted toengage a cam 14 on an auxiliary pattern drum- 1-5 mounted on the right hand end of the main pattern shaft 1 6; It will be seen that with theconnectionsreierred-j to the pivoted lever 55 will be swung about its pivot in a counterclockwise direction when the nose portion. 13 ofcam lever 1 l" ridesup on cam 14, thereby drawing back the plunger 6| and permitting cam 51- to be moved to inoperative positionby its spring 59 The lower rear cam 53 is likewise movable to inoperative position by a light spring W, and is engageableby a similar plunger 18' having a spring 19 whiohis stronger than the sprin ll and hencetends to hold the cam 53 in operative position. The operation of the plunger 78 and; hence the movement of" cam 53 is subject to three separate controls. A lever 81 pivoted on bracket 66 has one end connected with plunger 18 and the other end connected through a short link 82 with the upper end of a vertical lever 83 (Figs. 1, 4 and 14) which is pi'votally mounted on a bracket 8'4. The lower end of lever 83 is connected through a link 85 bellcrank 86 and a second link 87 with a cam lever 88 pivoted at 72 and having a nose portion 89 adapted to engage a cam segment 9| on the auxiliary pattern drum 152 Lost motion is provided in the connections between the lever 81 and link 82 and also between the lower end of the vertical lever 83 and the link 85, for example, by slot and pin connections as shown. With the connections shown and described it will be seen that th plunger i8 is pushed inwardly to move cam 53 to its operative position when the nose portion 89 of cam lever 88 rides up on cam segment 9|.

The vertical lever 83 also has a short arm 92 which is connected by a link 93 (Figs-.1 and 2) with an arm 93 of a bellorank 95: which is pivoted at 96 and is provided at its other endwith a roller 91 adapted to engage an ar'cu-ate cam segment 98 on the bevelled gear 23 through which the needle cylinder is driven. The arm 94 of bellcrank 95 is also connected by a link 99 with a cam lever IIlI pivoted at I32 and having a nose portion adapted to engage a cam I33 on the main pattern drum I94. A spring I95 connected to the bellcrank 95, tends to rock both the bellcrank and also cam lever Hill in a, clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. When the nose portion III'I rides up on cam I33 the cam lever and the bellcrank 95 are rocked in a counterclockwise direction so that the roller 91 is held out of engagement with the cam segment 98 and through the connections described above the plunge I8 is drawn back away from the needle cylinder so that the cam 53 (Fig. 6) is moved by its spring TI to inoperative position. When the nose of the cam lever IIII rides ofi of cam I83 the roller 9! on bellcrank 95 engages the cam segment 98 on b velled gear 23. When the roller 91 rides up on cam segment 98 the sinker operating cam 53 is moved to inoperative position. When the roller 91 rides off of segment 98 cam 53 is moved inwardly to operative position. As the bevelled gear 23 carrying cam segment 98 rotates at the same speed as the needle cylinder, it will be seen that the cam 53 is moved into operative position at a particular point in the rotation of the cylinder, as will be described more fully below.

In the link 93 connecting the bellcrank 95 with the arm 92 of pivoted lever 83 there is provided an extensible slip-joint I06 comprising relatively slidable parts held together against fixed stops by a tension spring IIlI. This slip-joint makes it possible for the cam 53 to be held in operative position under action of pattern cam 9I (Fig. 14) and cam lever 88 even though cam lever IIlI i in a position which would otherwise cause the cam 53 to be moved to inoperative position. The spring III! is in this instance overpoweredby the mechanism actuated by pattern cam 9!, as described above.

The front sinker'cam 55 which is swingable about its pivot 53 into and out of operative position is resiliently held in operative position by a leaf spring I08. The cam is movable to inoperative position by a roller I99 (Figs. 6 and 8) which is carried on the lower end of a shaft III extending downwardly from cam 55 and is adapted to engage a segmental ring cam I I2 (Fig.

5) mounted on the periphery of the sinker ring 35. When the roller I99 rides up on the cam segment II2 the front sinker cam 55 will be moved outwardly to inoperative position and conversely when the roller I99 rides off of cam segment I I2, the cam 55 will be moved inwardly to operative position by its spring I08. The inward and outward movement of cam 55 is timed to occur in predetermined relation to the rotation of the needle cylinder, as explained below.

The sinker tail cam 54 (Figs. 6 and 7) is provided with a spring (not shown) tending to move the cam outwardly to inoperative position. The cam is movable inwardly to operative position by a finger II3 (Fig. 18) carried at one end of a pivoted lever H4 and adapted to be pressed against the cam. The other end of pivoted lever II is connected by a link I I5 to the upper arm N5 of a bellcrank lever II! which is pivoted to a stationary bracket at II8. The lower arm II9 of the bellcrank lever is connected by a link I2I to a cam lever I22 pivoted at I23 and having a nose portion I24 adapted to engage a segmental cam I25 on auxiliary pattern drum I5. A tension spring I23 tends to move the link I2I upward, holding the nose of the cam lever I 22 in engagement with the pattern drum. When the nose of cam lever I22 rides up on cam I25 the link I 2! moves downwardly against the action of spring I23, and through the connections described, the finger H3 is moved out away from the sinker tail cam 54, permitting the cam to be swung outwardly to inoperative position by its spring. I

The pattern cam I25 which controls the operation of the sinker tail cam 54 also controls the feed finger and the cutter and binder for the terry thread. The terry feed finger 28 (Fig. 15) is subject to four separate, yet interrelated controls. During the knitting of the leg portion of the sock, the terry thread feed finger is, in the particular embodiment shown, held out of operation so that no terry thread is fed to the needles. During the knitting of the buffer portion I2 of the article of hosiery shown in Fig. 17, the terry thread feed finger is moved into and out of feeding position each revolution of the needle cylinder, sothat terry thread is fed to the needles knitting the buffer portion I2 but not to the needles on the instep side of the cylinder. During the knitting of the high splice portion :I and sole portion 6, the terry thread feed finger is likewise moved into and out of feeding position each revolution of the needle cylinder, but it remains in feeding position during a greater portion of each revolution so that terry thread is fed to the larger group of needles extending approximately halfway around the needle cylinder, which produce the high splice and sole portions of the sock. During the knitting of the toe band I, the terry thread finger remains continuously in feeding position so as to feed terry thread to all of the needles.

The terry thread feed finger 28 (Fig. 15) is resiliently held in feeding position by a spring (not shown) and is movable tonon-feeding position by means of a pivoted lever I2! (Figs. 1 and 18) The inner end of therlever I2! is adapted to engage the feed finger to push it upwardly out of feeding position. The outer end of lever I2! is connected by a link I28 with an arm I29 on a sleeve I3I which is oscillatalble and also axially reciprocable on a stationary shaft. The sleeve I 3| is provided with a second arm I32 adapted to engag a cam I33 on (the main drive shaft 22 of the machine. A helical torsion and compression spring I34 resiliently holds the arm I32 of sleeve I35 in contact with the dam I33. When the arm I32 rides up on the raised portion of cam I33 the sleeve I3I is rocked about its shaft, causing arm I29 to pull downwardly on connecting link I23, thereby moving the terry thread feed finger out of operative position. The raised portion on cam I33 extends approximately halfway around the dam. As the main shaft I22 rotates at the same speed as the needle cylinder the terry thread feed finger will be in feeding position for approximately one half of each revolution to feed thread to the needles forming the high splice portion 3 and sole portion 5 of the article of hosiery shown in Fig. 17.

The mechanism just described for moving the terry thread feed finger into and out of operative position during each revolution of the needle cylinder may be rendered inoperative by shifting the rock sleeve I3I axially toward the left (Fig. so that the arm I32 does not engage cam I33. Means for shifting the sleeve in this manner is shown asa bellcrank I35 engaging a collar on sleeve I3I and connected by a link I36 With one end of a pivoted cam lever I31, the other end of which engages a cam I38 on the main pattern drum. By shifting the sleeve I 3I to the left as described so that the arm I 32 does not engage cam I33 the terry thread feed finger can be permitted to remain continuously in feeding position, as for example when feeding terry thread to all of the needles during the knitting of the terry toe band 1 of the article shown in Fig. 17.

The outer end of the lever I21 operating the terry thread feed finger is also connected by means of a link or wire I 39 with one end of a pivoted cam lever ml, the opposite end of which is adapted to engage a cam section I42 on the main pattern drum of the machine. When the nose of cam lever I4! rides up on the raised dam section M2, the link I39 is pulled downwardly causing the terry thread feed finger to be held out of feeding position.

During the knitting of the buffer heel I2 of the article shown in Fig. 1'1, the terry thread feed finger is moved into and out of feeding position in timed relation with the rotation of the needle cylinder so as to remain in feeding position substantially less than one half of each revolution. The mechanism for [accomplishing this movement is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 18 and appears also in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The inner end of a lever I43, pivoted at I44, is connected with the terry feed finger operating the lever I21, for example, by engaging a, projection 145 on link I23. The outer end of lever I 43 is connected by a link 1% with a cam follower I41, pivotally mounted on a horizontal post M8 and having a nose portion its adapted to engage a cam segment 25! mounted on an auxiliary control drum I52 on the main drive shaft 22. When the nose of cam follower I41 rides up on the raised portion of cam segment I! the pivoted lever M3 is rocked about its pivot in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 18, pulling downwardly on the outer end of lever I21 and thereby causing the inner end of the lever to lift the terry thread feed finger to non-feeding position. The

timing is such that the feed finger is permitted to be in feeding position only during passage of the group of needles which form the buffer heel portion I2 of the article shown in Fig. 1'7.

The cam follower M1 is resiliently held at the outer end of its pivot post I48 by means of a compression spring 53. A projection I 55 on the bellcrrank lever H1 (Fig. 18) referred to above is adapted to engage the cam follower I41 near its pivot and to shift the follower inwardly on its pivot post 168 when the bellcrank H1 is rocked in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 18. The shifting of the cam follower I41 in this manner causes the nose portion of the cam follower to be shifted laterally out of register with the cam segment I5 I, thereby rendering inoperative the mechanism described above for moving the terry thread feed finger into and out of feeding position during the knitting of the buffer portion I2 of the article shown in Fig. 17. The terry thread feed finger is thus held out of operative position by the pattern cam M2 (Fig. 1) during the knitting of the leg, is moved into and out of feedingposition by the control cam I51 (Fig. 1.8) during the knitting of the buffer heel portion, is moved into and out of feeding position with dif ferent timing by the cam I33 (Fig. 1) during the knitting of the high splice and sole portions, and is permitted to remain continuously in feeding position during the knitting of the toe band by 14 shifting the rock sleeve I31 (Fig. 1) to the left so that the arm I32 is not engaged by cam I33.

The movement of the terry thread feed finger into operative position for substantially less than one half of each revolution during the knitting of the buffer portion l2 of the article of Fig. 17 also requires special operation of the cutter and binder mechanism for the terry thread. The movable blade I of the cutter andbinder mechanism shown schematically in Fig. 5 is normally operated through an arm I56, 3. link I51, a rocker arm I58 pivoted at I59 and a link IEI connected to one end of a cam lever I62 (Fig. 2), which is pivoted at I112 and has a nose portion I63 adapted to engage a cam I64 on the main pattern drum. A tension spring I acting on link IBI tends to oppose the action of the cam. The operation of the cutter and binder is thus normally controlled from the main pattern drum. However, during the knitting of the buffer portion 12 of the article shown in Fig. 1'7, the cutter and binder is operated by the special mechanism shown schematically in Fig. 18. A rockshaft I65 extends across the back of the machine, being rotatably supported by suitable brackets I65 and has at one end a forked arm I61, straddling the above mentioned link I6I and engaging a collar I62 adjustably secured on the link. On the other end of'rock shaft I65 there is another arm I69 loosely connected with one end of a lever I1I pivoted at I12 and having the other end connected by a link I13 with the free end of a cam follower I15, pivotally mounted on a pivot post I15. The cam follower I14 has a laterally projecting nose portion 116 adapted to engage a cam segment I11 mounted on the auxiliary control drum I52 on the main drive shaft 22. When the nose portion I16 of the cam follower rides up on the cam segment I11 the free end of the cam follower is raised and acts through the connections described to rock the shaft I 65 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the right hand end of the shaft, and thereby move link I6I downwardly to open the clamp to receive the terry thread. As the clamp and cutter for the terry thread and the terry thread feed finger both are operated by cam segments on the auxiliary control drum I52 during the knitting of the buffer portion I2, it will be understood that they can be operated in accurate timed relation to one another by the relative positions of cam segments E51 and I11 on the drum.

To interrupt the operation of the clamp and cutter by the cam I11 provision is made for shifting the cam follower out of operative relation with the cam. A compression spring I18 on pivot post tends to hold the cam follower I14 at the outer end of the pivot post. A rock shaft 119 rotatably supported by bracket IBI extends approximately parallel to the cam follower I14 and. has an arm I82 engaging the cam follower near its pivot. The rock shaft I19 has a second arm 183 connected by a short link I84 with the above mentioned bellcrank II1 (Fig. 18) t a point slightly above the pivot II 8 of the bellcrank. When the bellcrank is rotated in a counterclockwise direction by engagement of the nose i2 1 of the cam. lever I22 with the cam segment 125, the rock shaft I19 is rotated counterclockwise, as viewed from the front of the machine, thereby shifting the cam follower I14 laterally inwardly on the pivot post I15 and moving the nose portion I16 out of registry with the cam I11. The pattern cam I25 and associated parts thus provide a unified control for the terry thread feed 15 finger 28 (Fig. 15), the sinker tail cam 54 (Fig. 6) and the cutter and clamping blade I55 (Fig. for the terry thread.

As stated above, it is desirable when knitting the bufier portion of the article of Fig. 1'7 to slacken the stitches in the terry fabric of the buffer portion without slackening the stitches in the adjacent portions of non-terry fabric. When knitting the high splice portion 4 and the sole portion 6, on the other hand, the stitches on a greater number of needles must be slackened since the high splice and heel portions are of substantially greater coursewise extent than the buffer portion I2. Mechanism for accomplishing these results is shown schematically in Figs. 19 to 22. In Fig. 19 there are shown in a developed view certain of the cams for operating the needles, including a raise cam I85, a center cam I86 and stitch cams I81 and I99. After the needles are drawn down by cam I81 to draw stitches of the thread, they are again raised by engagement with a raise cam I88. The cam I88 is a composite cam comprising an outer cam element I99 (Fig. 21) and inner cam element I9I, and an intermediate cam element I92. The outer cam is mounted stationarily, though preferably adjustably on a fixed part of the machine, while cam elements I9I and I92 are relatively slidable in a circumferential direction relative to cam element I89 and relative to each other.

The needles in the needle cylinder are provided with at least three lengths of butts. The needles on the instep side of the cylinder corresponding to the section from A to B in Fig. 9 have long butts, the needles corresponding to the sections B-C and I-l-A have short butts, and the needles corresponding to the section C to H have extra short butts. It will be noted that the distance C to H corresponds to the coursewise extent of the buffer portion I2 of the article of Fig. 17. The relation of the composite raise cam I88 to the needle cylinder is such that cam element I89 engages only the long needle butts, cam element I92 engages long and short needle butts, and cam element I9I engages all the needle butts. The slackening of the stitches on the different groups of needles is controlled by the relative positions of cam elements I89, I9I and I92. When the working faces of all three cams are in line with one another, all of the needles are raised at the same point and the stitches are all of the same length throughout the coursewise extent of the fabric. When cam element I 9I is drawn back slightly, as shown in Fig. 19, the long butt and short butt needles will ride up aligned cams I89 and I92 while the extra short butt needles will not be raised until they reach cam I9I, being thereby raised later than the other needles. As the needles of a knitting machine pass through the knitting wave to draw stitches, a certain amount of thread is robbed from previously drawn stitches, and since, in accordance with the present invention, the extra short butt needles remain down longer than the other needles when cam ISI is drawn back as just described, less thread will be robbed from the stitches drawn by the extra short butt needles than from the remaining stitches of the course, and the stitches formed by the extra short butt needles will thus be slackened. As indicated above the extra short butt needles are the ones that produce the buifer portion I2 of the article shown in Fig. 17. When knitting the high splice portion 4- and sole por tion 6, cam element I9I and also cam element I92 ar drawn back so that stitches are slackened in like manner on both the extra short butt needles and the short butt needles, or in other words, on all the needles on the sole side of the needle cylinder corresponding in coursewise extent to the high splice portion and the sole.

Mechanism for automatically controlling the positions of cam elements WI and I92 is shown schematically in Fig. 22. Cam element I9I is slidably mounted on a fixed part of the machine, for example, by means of screws I93 extending through elongated slots I94 in the cam element and is provided with an abutment I95 adapted to engage an arm I96 on a rock shaft I91, which is rotatably supported for example, by a bracket I98. At the other end of the rock shaft I91 there is provided a second arm I99 connected by a link 29I with a cam lever 202 pivoted at 293 and having a nose portion 294 adapted to engage cam segment 295 on the main pattern drum I94. When the nose portion 204 of the cam lever 202 rides up on one of the cam segments 205, the upper end of the arm I96 on rock shaft I9! is moved forwardly, i. e., to the left as viewed in Fig. 22, thereby advancing cam I9I so that its working face is aligned with that of stationary cam I89. When the nose portion 205 rides off of the cam segment the arm I 96 is moved back, permitting the cam element I-9I to be moved rearwardly by the drag of the needles so as to occupy the position shown in Fig. 19. Similar mechanism is provided for controlling cam element I92, which is slidably held between the other two cam elements. Thus, a cam segment 206 on pattern drum I94 engages the nose portion 291 of a cam lever 208 pivoted at 293 and connected by a link 299 with an arm 2II on a rock shaft 2I2 having an inner arm 2I3 engaging a pin 214 which projects outwardly from th cam element I92. The control mechanism for cam element I92 operates in a similar manner to that just described for cam element I9I. The two movable cam elements I'9I and I92 of the three part con.-

posite cam I98 are thus independently controlled by their respective pattern cams, 205 and 296.

During the knitting of the heel and toe p01! tions when the machin is being operated by oscillation of the needle cylinder and the needles on the instep side of the needle cylinder are inoper ative, the stitches drawn by the needles producing the heel and toe are slackened by downward movement of a movable cam block carrying stitch cams I97 and I99 (Fig. 19) causing the needles to draw longer stitches. This adjustment of the cam block results in the needles being drawn down both further and earlier and interferes with the active timing of the entry of the curved fingers 39 of the sinkers between the terry thread and body thread to separate the threads and thereby produce terry fabric. In accordance with our invention this difficulty is overcome by the mechanism shown in Fig. 3. During oscillation of the needle cylinder, the sinker cap which carries the sinker operating cams shogs or oscillates slightly within predetermined limits, being carried around with the needle cylinder a short distance upon each reversal of rotation. The shogging of the sinker cap is ordinarily limited by fixed adjustable stops, one of which also determines the position of the sinker caps when the needle cylinder is operated by continuous rotation in a counterclockwise direction. In accordance with our invention, means is provided for controlling the position of the sinker cap to secure accurate timing of the entry of the fingers 39 between the threads under all conditions. In the 157 embodiment of our apparatus shown in the drawings (see Figs. 2 and 3)., a finger or lever '2 I 5, pivoted at 2i5, has its outer end connected by a link 2I6 with one end of a cam lever 2i! (Fig. 2) which is pivoted at I92 and has a nose portion -2 I 3 adapted to engage a cam segment 2M on the pattern drum I04. When the nose portion -2I8 of the cam lever 2|! ride up on cam segment 21%), the inner end of the pivoted lever 2I5 (Fig. 3) is moved upwardly in position to engage an abutment on the sinker cap, (and thereby determine its position. When the inner end of lever 2-!5 is moved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3, it does vnot engage the said abutment and the position of the sinker "cap is thereupon determined by the usual adjustable stop. When knitting by continuous rotation of the needle cylinder, the pivoted lever 2I5 is in inoperative position as shown. When knitting terry portions by reciprocation of the needle cylinder, as in knitting the heel and toe, the inner end of lever 215 is raised to operative position so that the sinker cap is not permitted to oscillate as far in a counterclockwise direction, thereby causing earlier entry of the sinker fingers 37 between the body thread and terry thread to compensate for the needles being drawn dow n earlier to produce a longer stitch.

While it will be understood that the knittingmachine in accordance with our invention is not limited to the production of the specific articles of hosiery shown in the drawings, the operation of the machine will be described with reference to the article shown by way of example in Fig. 17. The rib knit top portion I may be produced on another knitting machine and transferred to the needles of the present machine, a manner well known in the art. The operation of the machine will therefore be described beginning with the knitting of the leg portion 2. During the knitting of the leg, wrap embroidery thread is fed to selected raised needles by the wrap thread feed guides 32 in advance of the main knitting station and body thread is fed to all the needles by one or other of the feed fingers 26, 21 (Fig. 15), the needles being manipulated to produce plain knit fabric and to knit the wrap embroidery thread in plating relation over the body thread to form a wrap embroidery pattern. This operation is continued with such variation of the needle selection as is required to produce the desired design until the beginning of the buiier portion I2 is reached. During the knitting of the wrap embroidery of the leg portion 2, the terry thread feed finger 28 (Fig. 15) is held out of feeding position by the pattern cam I42 (Fig. 1), so that no terry thread is fed to the needles. It will be understood, however, that if desired the so-called terry thread may be fed as an additional body thread to be knit along with the body thread fed by feed finger 26 or 27. The movable sinker operating cams 5|, 53 and '54 (Fig. 7) are all held out in inoperative position so that the sinkers are operated by the stationary cams 4'! and 48 (Fig. 6) and are therefore moved inwardly too late to produce any separation of threads fed to the needles. Hence, even if thread is fed to the needles by feed finger 28 (Fig. no terry loops will be formed and the fabric produced will be non-terry fabric. It will thus be seen that during the knitting of the leg portion the mechanism for producing terry fabric in no way interferes with the knitting of wrap emb'roidery fabric by the needles.

Upon reaching the upper edge of the bu fier portion I2 (Fig. 17) the machine is operated to produce terry fabric in the bufier portion and wrap embroidery, non-terry fabric in areas I8 and in the instep portion 3 of the tubular seamless section being Hence, part of each successive course is knit of terry fabric and the remainder is knit as wrap embroidery non-terry fabric. The "terry thread feed finger is put into operation by cam lever I 4-I (Fig. 1) riding off of the high portion of pattern cam I42 to permit the terry thread finger to be moved to feeding position by its spring. At about the same time the nose portion [24 of cam lever J22 rides off the high portion of pattern cam I25 (Fig, 18 so that bellcrank HT is rocked slightly in a clockwise direction, permitting cam follower I4 to be shifted outwardly by its spring I53 to bring the nose portion I49 of the cam follower into registry with the cam segment I5=I on cam drum I52. As the cam drum 152 is rotated at the same speed as the cylinder the terry thread feed finger will be moved in and out each revolution of the needle cylinder so that it is in feeding position only during the portion of each revolution corresponding to the knitting of bufier portion l2 (Fig. 17). The rocking of bellcrank Ill also permits cam follower I" to be moved outwardly to the end of its pivot post by spring I18, thereby bringing the nose portion I16 of the cam follower into position for engagement with cam section I-I'I so that the cutter and binder for the terry thread is operated in timed relation with the terry thread feed finger as described above.

The sinker tail cam 54 (Fig. 7) is also moved inwardly to operative position by operation of the cam lever I22 and bellcr-an-k II'I, so that the tail cam engages all of the sinkers having long tails and moves these sinkers inwardly in advance of the stationary sinker cam 48 (Fig. 6) so that the curved fingers 39 of the sinkers are inserted be tween the body thread and terry thread to separate the two threads and" produce terry loops.

As explained above, the sinkers having long tails correspond to the needles that produce the bufier portion l2. The remaining sinkers are not moved inwardly until they reach the stationary cam 48 (Fig. 6) which is too late to separate the threads, so that during the balance of the coursewise extent of the fabric non-terry fabric is produced even if feeding of the terry thread is continued. In knitting the particular embodiment shown in Fig. 17 the wrap embroidery design does not extend into the buffer portion I2. but does extend downwardly alongside the buffer portion closely adjacent to the lateral edges thereof. This is accomplished by not feeding the wrap embroidery thread to any of the needles of the group producing the buffer portion I2, but feeding it to closely adjacent needles, and other selected needles on the instep side of the needle cylinder, so that the wrap embroidery pattern is extended down into the instep. In order to slacken the stitches in the buffer portion I2 to accommodate the additional terry thread, the inner cam element I9I (Figs. 19 to 22) is drawn back under action of pattern cam 205. The stitches throughout the remainder of the coursewise extent of the fabric remain the same.

When the beginning of the high splice portion 4 (Fig. 17) is reached, the nose I24 of cam lever I22 (Fig, 18) rides up on cam segment I25 and through the connecting linkage shifts cam rollower I41 to the left, so that it is not engaged by its cam -I5I. The terry thread feed finger is I thereupon moved in and out during each revolu-' tion of the needle cylinder by operation of the l9 cam I33 (Fig. 1) and remains in feeding position a longer period during each revolution corresponding to the greater coursewise extent of the high splice portion 4 in comparison with the buffer portion 12 of the article being knit. Cam follower lld (Fig. 18) is likewise shifted to the left through operation of the cam lever I22 and bellcrank in so that the nose portion N6 of the cam follower is no longer engaged by its cam ill and the operation of the cutter and binder Hi (Fig. 5) by cam IT! is thereby interrupted. During the knitting of the high splice portion the terry thread is severed by another cutter and binder which is indicated at 22! in Fig. 4 and is operated through an arm 222, rock shaft 223 and a second arm 224, which latter is engaged by the terry thread feed finger 28, so that the cutter and binder is operated in exact timed relationship with the feed finger. As the cutter and binder is located approximately 180 around the needle circle from the thread feeding station, the timing is such that the cutter is operated to sever the previously withdrawn thread when the feed finger 28 is lowered into operative position to begin feeding in the next course. The tail sinker cam 54 (Fig. '7) is withdrawn through operation of the cam lever 522 (Fig. 18) and the upper rear cam 51 is moved into operative position by its control mechanism. The cam 5i engages the high 'butt sinkers, i. e., the sinkers on the sole side of the needle cylinder, to and moves these sinkers inwardly to terrying position so that terry fabric is produced in the high splice while non-terry fabricis produced in the instep portions of the same courses. While the small group of sinkers between point FG (Fig. 9) having a top notch 44 (Fig. 12) are not pushed in all the way by the upper rear cam 51, they are pushed in part way by this cam, and owing to the speed of the machine are carried on in by their inertia, so that there is no interruption of terry fabric at this point. Alternatively the sinker tail cam 55 may be kept in operating position during the knitting of the high splice so that this group of sinkers is moved inwardly by engagement of the cam 55 with their tail portions. The feeding of wrap embroidery thread to selected needles on the instep side of the needle cylinder is continued to extend the wrap embroidery pattern into the instep, and if desired wrap embroidery thread can also be fed to selected needles forming the terry fabric of the high splice portion, so that the wrap embroidery pattern will also extend into the terry fabric, as indicated at I! in Fig. 17. As explained above the stitches of body thread and wrap thread are drawn over the lower level of the sinkers while loops of the terry thread only are drawn over the upper level. Upon reaching the high splice the intermediate cam 592 (Fig. 21) is drawn back by its control mechanism (Fig. 22) so that the stitches on both the short butt and the extra short butt needles are slackened in the manner described above. These needles correspond in coursewise extent to the terry fabric of the high splice portion.

Upon reaching the heel portion 5, the machine is operated by reciprocation of the needle cylinder. The terry thread feed finger is kept in feeding position either by shifting the rock sleeve i3! (Fig. 1) to the left so that the arm [32 does not engage cam I33, or by throwing another terry thread feed finger into operative position. No operation of the cutter and binder is required as the terry thread remains continuous and is not cut. In going on to the heel, the upper rear sinker cam 5!, (Figs. 6 and 7) is moved to inoperative position by its control mechanism so that a yarn change of either the terry thread or the body thread may be made. Otherwise the new yarns would come down on the upper level of the sinker. After the yarn change has been made the lower rear cam 53, which has been held out by cam lever 88 (Fig. 14) is released by the nose portion of the cam lever if)! (Fig. 2) riding off of corresponding pattern cam 183 (Fig. 1). Cam 53 is thereupon controlled by the roller 97 (Fig. 2) of bellcrank engaging the cam segment 98 on the beveled gear 23 to move the cam 53 in and out as the cylinder reciprocates. The timing of this movement is such that cam 53 is moved into operative position during the forward or clockwise swing of the needle cylinder at the place where the group of middle notched sinkers (Fig. 13) occur and stays in for the balance of the course. As described above the middle notched sinkers are located between the points D and E in Fig. 9. This operation of the sinker cam 53 assures that the body thread and terry thread have had an opportunity to straighten out before the sinkers are moved in to terry position so that proper separation of the thread will be obtained by the curved fingers 39 of the sinkers. On the back swing of the needle cylinder, the front sinker cam 55 is let in to operative position at the point where the top notch sinkers (Fig. 12) occur, i. e., between points F and G in Fig. 9. The operation of the sinkers in separating the body thread and terry thread is just the same as on the forward swing of the needle cylinders. As explained above the inward and outward movement of the front sinker cam 55 is controlled by engagement of roller Hi9 (Fig. 8) with a segmental cam on the sinker ring. During the knitting 0f the heel the inner portion I9! and intermediate portion I92 of the composite cam I88 (Figs. 19 and 20) are moved into alignment with the stationary cam portion 89. The slackening of the stitches in the heel portion is achieved by lowering the cam block carrying the stitch cams so as to draw longer stitches. The needles are thereupon drawn down not only farther but also earlier. To prevent this change from disturbing the relative movement of the needles and sinkers in separating the body'thread and terry thread to produce terry fabric, it is compensated for by shifting the sinker cap by moving the inner end of the finger ZIE (Fig. 3) upwardly so as to engage an abutment on the sinker cap. As no wrap embroidery patternis desired on the heel portion of the sock, the feeding of wrap thread to the needles is interrupted.

During the knitting of the sole portion 5 and the corresponding part of the instep portion 3 the operation of the machine is the same as during the knitting of the high splice portion. Thus, the terry thread feed finger is moved in and out by the cam I33 (Fig. 1) thereby also operating the cutter and binder 22! (Fig. 4), the upper rear sinker cam 5| (Fig. 7) is moved inwardly to operative position, and the lower rear cam 53 is withdrawn. The inner end of the finger 215 (Fig. 3) is moved downwardly so that the position of the sinker cap is thereupon controlled by the regular bumper screw. Cam elements Nil and I92 (Fig. 21) are drawn back so that the stitches on the sole side only of the needle cylinder are slackened. The feeding of wrap embroidery thread to selected needles on the instep side of the needle cylinder is resumed so that the wrap embroidery pattern is continued down into the instep. It will be seen. from the foregoing description that the production of wrap 

